Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Monday 27 December 1999

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government to ask for funds to finance the shortfall in the Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme.

Ross Finnie: I have on-going discussions with the UK Government on the difficulties facing Scottish farmers, as a result of which a number of substantial aid packages have been made available in recent months. I announced on 16 November that a further £1 million would be available for ABIS, over and above existing expenditure of £14.7 million. More generally, and given the severe problems currently faced by farmers in Scotland, I have had no option in drawing up assistance packages but to give priority to those farmers whose income levels are falling, rather than those who would like to invest in new capital projects.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-587 by Jackie Baillie on 11 November 1999, how much of the £8 million allocation to the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund is new money and what plans it has to maintain resourcing to the fund in the long term.

Jackie Baillie: This is the first national fund for tackling violence against women. It is new money. The fund is currently scheduled to operate for 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with Her Majesty’s Government whether the Scottish Consolidated Fund will be increased in order to ensure that its spending in areas such as health, education, housing and transport does not need to be reduced in the event of the cost of the Holyrood project increasing further.

Mr Jack McConnell: No.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Secretary of State for Scotland with regard to the potential impact of his department’s spending plans on the Executive’s ability to deliver its spending plans this financial year and whether it has made any such representations for future years.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Secretary of State and the First Minister have discussed the Secretary of State’s spending plans which will amount to around 0.04% of the total Scottish budget in 2000-01.

Finance

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2168 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 November 1999, what receipts were given to Her Majesty’s Treasury under the heading "road traffic fixed fines and penalties" in each year for which figures are available in 1998-99 prices.

Mr Jack McConnell: The table below gives details of receipts in respect of District Court activity and paid into the Consolidated Fund as Fixed Fines and Penalties:

  £000 1998-99 prices

  


1994-95

  

1995-96

  

1996-97

  

1997-98

  

1998-99

  



13,930

  

12,320

  

11,484

  

11,956

  

12,311

Health

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the work of the Ayr Hospitals’ Rapid Response Team, whether it has analysed its work in reducing bed blocking and whether it intends to promote this initiative throughout the National Health Service in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: I am aware of the work of the Ayrshire and Arran Rapid Response Team, which is an excellent example of partnership working between Health Service providers, Local Authorities and other agencies. I stressed the need for effective joint working of this kind at a conference for Local Authority and Health Service leaders last month. A Joint Future Group to be chaired by Iain Gray will take forward the outcomes.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the current practice of making appointments to the Shrieval bench, whether it will give an assurance that no conversations or discussions with or advice given by Special Advisers to the Scottish Executive have influenced the process of such appointments and what its policy is towards replacing the current appointments system with an open and transparent judicial appointments board.

Mr Jim Wallace: All vacancies for Shrieval posts are advertised and applications are submitted to the Justice Department. There are invariably consultations with the Sheriffs Principal and the Lord President of the Court of Session before the First Minister makes recommendations to The Queen. Special Advisers are not involved in the appointment process. Ministers remain committed to a public consultation exercise on the system of recommending the appointment of Judges and Sheriffs. The full implications for judicial appointments more generally, of recent judgements in the High Court dealing with temporary Sheriffs are still being considered and the consultation paper will now be issued in the spring.